Monday, June 19, 2017

U.S. Coalition Commits Another War Crime Killing 75 Civilians In Raqqa Using Chemical Weapons

Multiple sources and video evidence from Raqqa confirm that the U.S. Coalition is using white phosphorous munitions in densely populated residential areas of Raqqa. While white phosphorous is not banned outright by the Chemical Weapons Convention of 1993 it becomes a chemical weapon when deployed directly against personnel targets. Its only permitted use is as a flare to illuminate targets or a smoke screen to hide people. Its use as a chemical weapon on a target within a concentration of civilians is prohibited by the 1980 Protocol on Incendiary Weapons, under Protocol III. In fact, U.S. intelligence first classified White Phosphorous as a chemical weapon in 1991 after Saddam (a Washington backed dictator gone rogue) used WP munitions to put down a Kurdish uprising. Of course, the fact that the federal government would violate its on rules and international law in pursuit of a supposedly noble cause is not a new development. The Army used white phosphorous munitions during the second battle of Fallujah. More recently, the U.S. Coalition in Syria targeted Al-Hason internet cafe in Raqqa with WP munitions, killing 14 civilians who were trying to contact relatives that had successfully fled the city. An additional 15 civilians were killed by U.S. air strikes on the 16th street and Al Jazra junction nearby. From Thursday June 8th until Friday June 9th, the U.S. Coalition carried out 25 raids using WP munitions on eastern and western neighborhoods of the city destroying 8 shops and killing 75 civilians.

The problem with having the most powerful military in the world is that you will also have a government that is above the law and the victims of their tyranny will be left without recourse. A republican form of government, as envisioned by our founders, necessitates definite constitutional limitations on the exercise of political power such as requiring a declaration of war by congress before going to war. They say they invaded Syria to eradicate ISIS and have no intentions of fighting the Syrian Arab Army or Russia, but as usual you can never take a politician's word at face value. ISIS is just a white phosphorus smoke screen. Their true intent, as John Kerry had let slipped last year, is to balkanize Syria along ethnic and religious lines, making it a failed state like Libya, which includes destroying the infrastructure, destroying businesses and demoralizing the populace.